The brash, buzzing heart — Central and South Pattaya, home to the main beach, the malls, the notorious neon of Walking Street, endless bars, clubs and cabaret, and non-stop energy. Lively, crowded and full-on, the hub of nightlife and action; the base for travellers who want the party scene, nightlife and everything on the doorstep, though it's loud and gritty. Pattaya at its most infamous and energetic. Buzzing and boisterous.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€50–120
typical per night in Thailand
The sensible middle
Typical prices for Pattaya — neither steal nor splurge.
Where it sits
The circle is Central & South Pattaya and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Big Buddha Hill (Wat Phra Yai)27 min walk2.3 km
- Pattaya Viewpoint & sign8 min taxi2.6 km
- Jomtien (beach)11 min taxi3.8 km
- Jomtien Beach11 min taxi3.8 km
- Thai street food & markets13 min taxi4.3 km
- Fresh seafood15 min taxi5.0 km
- The Sanctuary of Truth15 min taxi5.1 km
- The Floating Market20 min taxi6.6 km
- Nong Nooch Tropical Garden56 min taxi18.8 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 5.A cabaret show — A dazzling Pattaya institution — the ladyboy cabaret shows (Tiffany's and Alcazar are the famous, long-running ones), glittering, feather-and-sequin spectacles of lip-synced musical numbers, elaborate costumes and high-energy dance performed by Thailand's celebrated transgender performers. Colourful, camp, family-friendly and enormous fun, it's a beloved, uniquely Thai form of entertainment and a great, glitzy evening. Book tickets for a show; it's a fun, dazzling highlight suitable for all ages. A joyful, only-in-Thailand spectacle. Great fun and full of sparkle.
- 6.Pattaya Beach & the bay — The city's central, curving beach — Pattaya Beach, a long crescent of sand backed by the buzzing beach road, palm trees, sun loungers, watersports (jet-skis, parasailing, banana boats) and endless bars and restaurants behind. Busy and lively rather than pristine, it's the social heart of the city's seaside, great for a stroll, a jet-ski, a beachfront drink and a sunset. While the water is clearer on Koh Larn, the beach buzz, the promenade and the sunsets are enjoyable. A lively, convenient beach highlight. Fun and central; go for the buzz and the sunset.
- 8.Walking Street — Pattaya's infamous nightlife heart — Walking Street, a neon-drenched, pedestrianised strip in the south of the city that erupts each night into a chaotic carnival of bars, go-go clubs, discos, live-music venues, street performers and food stalls, thumping until dawn. Loud, wild and unapologetically adult (though families do stroll the spectacle early evening), it's a spectacle in itself. Dive into a big night out, catch some live music, or just walk the neon chaos and people-watch; it's the full-on Pattaya experience. A boisterous, iconic (if seedy) highlight. Wild; keep your wits about you.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Central & South Pattaya; flights via Google Flights.